Hermetically sealed cases can be used to isolate electronic devices from environmental contamination. To form electrical connections between the interior and the exterior of a hermetically sealed case, a hermetic feedthrough can be used. Ideally this hermetic feedthrough would maintain the integrity of the hermetic sealed case, while allowing electrical signals to pass through. Ceramic can be used to form the body of the feedthrough, with a number of electrically conductive pins passing through the ceramic. Ceramic has a number of benefits, including resistance to chemical corrosion, high strength, and fluid/vapor impermeability. However, the reliability of the ceramic body in hermetic feedthrough can become a limiting factor in some implant designs.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.